Polybius, Histories
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Book 22 - Chapter 22

1
<head lang="la">III. Res Aegypti</head><w lemma="%2A%28%2Foti">Ὅτι</w> <w lemma="%2A%29aristo%2Fnikos">Ἀριστόνικος</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="%2Aptolemai%2Fou">Πτολεμαίου</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="basile%2Fws">βασιλέως</w> <w lemma="%2Aai%29gu%2Fptou">Αἰγύπτου</w> <w lemma="eu%29nou%3Dxos">εὐνοῦχος</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dn">ἦν</w>, <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="paidi%2Fou">παιδίου</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29gego%2Fnei">ἐγεγόνει</w> <w lemma="su%2Fntrofos">σύντροφος</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="basilei%3D">βασιλεῖ</w>.
2
<w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="h%28liki%2Fas">ἡλικίας</w> <w lemma="probainou%2Fshs">προβαινούσης</w> <w lemma="a%29ndrwdeste%2Fran">ἀνδρωδεστέραν</w> <w lemma="ei%29%3Dxen">εἶχεν</w> <w lemma="h%29%5C">ἢ</w> <w lemma="kat%27">κατ᾽</w> <w lemma="eu%29nou%3Dxon">εὐνοῦχον</w> <w lemma="to%2Flman">τόλμαν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="proai%2Fresin">προαίρεσιν</w>.
3
<w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="fu%2Fsei">φύσει</w> <w lemma="stratiwtiko%5Cs">στρατιωτικὸς</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dn">ἦν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="plei%2Fsthn">πλείστην</w> <w lemma="e%29poiei%3Dto">ἐποιεῖτο</w> <w lemma="diatribh%5Cn">διατριβὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftois">τούτοις</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="tau%3Dta">ταῦτα</w>.
4
<w lemma="paraplhsi%2Fws">παραπλησίως</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="e%29nteu%2Fceis">ἐντεύξεις</w> <w lemma="i%28kano%5Cs">ἱκανὸς</w> <w lemma="u%28ph%3Drxe">ὑπῆρχε</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="koino%5Cn">κοινὸν</w> <w lemma="nou%3Dn">νοῦν</w> <w lemma="ei%29%3Dxen">εἶχεν</w>, <w lemma="o%28%5C">ὃ</w> <w lemma="spa%2Fnio%2Fn">σπάνιόν</w> <w lemma="e%29sti">ἐστι</w>.
5
<w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftois">τούτοις</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="eu%29ergesi%2Fan">εὐεργεσίαν</w> <w lemma="a%29nqrw%2Fpwn">ἀνθρώπων</w> <w lemma="pefu%2Fkei">πεφύκει</w> <w lemma="kalw%3Ds">καλῶς</w>.
<head>X. Affairs of Egypt</head>Aristonicus the servant of Ptolemy, king of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Egypt&groupId=556&placeId=368">Egypt</a>, was a eunuch, but had been from childhood upward the king\'s intimate companion.
As he grew older he showed himself more of a man in courage and general character than eunuchs generally are.
For he was a born soldier, and spent most of his time with military men and in the study of military matters.
He was also capable in conversation and he was liberal-minded, which is rare,
and in addition to this he was naturally disposed to be beneficent.

Walbank Commentary

Overview
22.22.1 - 22.22.5
<p rend="Plain Text">The eunuch Aristonicus</p> <p rend="Plain Text">Like 20 and 21, this passage, from the exc. de uirt. et uit. and from Suidas, forms part of the events of Ol. 148, 4 = 185/4; it is from res Aegypti (cf. p. 13).</p>
Specifics
22.22.1 - 22.22.1
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">Ἀριστόνικος ὁ . . . εὐνοῦ?χος</w>:</emph> cf. 17. 6 n.; but it is not clear why this character-sketch should appear now rather than when he was mentioned earlier. </p> <p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">σύντροφος τῷ βασιλεῖ</w>:</emph> for the title see v. 9. 4 n. and the passages there mentioned. </p>
22.22.4 - 22.22.4
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">τὸν κοινὸν νοῦν εἶχεν</w>:</emph> 'he possessed a civilized mind.' Schweighaeuser (Lex. Polyb. s.v. <w lang="el-GR">κοινός)</w> has some interesting remarks on the link between <w lang="el-GR">κοινὸς καὶ φιλάνθρωπος</w> and <w lang="el-GR">λόγος δίκαιος καὶ κοινός</w> in Demosthenes, 'ubi <w lang="el-GR">κοινός</w> eandem fere uim habet ac <w lang="el-GR">κοινωνικός</w> (i.e. 'sociable'); the concept of humanitas seems very close. </p> <p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">ὃ σπάνιόν ἐστι</w>:</emph> sc. 'in a eunuch' (so Schweighaeuser), or just possibly 'in a man <w lang="el-GR">φύσει στρατιωτικός</w>; P. will hardly be saying that humanitas is rarely found anywhere. <milestone unit="page" n="213">[213]</milestone> </p>

Commentary